Every year, the SSO:USA Annual Research Conference brings together leading researchers, scholars, therapists, and students to exchange ideas and share their work related to the study of participation in daily activities or those activities that occupy our lives. We are excited to announce that the 2026 Annual Research Conference will take place November 5 - 7, 2026, at the Portland Regency Hotel & Spa in Portland, Maine. 

One of the unique features of SSO:USA conferences is the attention devoted to balance and the quality of participants’ experiences.  Researchers should leave an SSO:USA conference refreshed, stimulated, and energized to return to their work.  Shared meals, conference break blocks, and a range of balance activities encourage attendees to rejuvenate, network, and explore unique aspects of local culture.  

Conference Theme:  Charting a Course: Focusing and Catalyzing Research for Action

2026 Ruth Zemke Lectureship in Occupational Science

In recognition of Dr. Ruth Zemke's mentorship, questing intellect, and ongoing efforts to foster an occupational science community of researchers, this Lectureship was named in her honor. The lectureship is designed as a forum to present visionary, theoretical, and critical analyses of occupational science.

 Dr. Khalilah R. Johnson, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Reclaiming Rigor, Reimagining Relevance: Black Feminist Thought, Critical Disability, and the Stories We Tell About Occupation

2026 Pre-Conference Research institute 

From Occupational Science to Occupation-Based Intervention: Designing Research for Real-World Impact
Occupational science offers rich concepts for understanding everyday life, health, identity, participation, and justice, but translating those concepts into occupation-based interventions requires intentional methodological and practical decisions. This interactive workshop will guide participants through the process of moving from occupational science ideas to intervention development, feasibility testing, and fundable research designs. Drawing on examples from translational and applied research with people living with chronic illness, we will explore how occupational science theory can inform intervention targets, mechanisms of change, intervention components, outcome selection, and study design.

The session will combine didactic segments, small-group discussion, and hands-on workshopping. Participants will have opportunities to apply these ideas to their own areas of scholarship, with attention to the audiences they must engage: community members, clinicians, collaborators, reviewers, and funders. The session is intended for occupational science students and scholars seeking to move their work toward applied impact while preserving strong conceptual grounding in occupation. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for developing occupation-centered interventions that are theoretically grounded, responsive to lived experience, and positioned for real-world impact.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Beth Pyatak is an occupational scientist, Lifestyle Redesign Certified® occupational therapist, and certified diabetes care and education specialist whose research bridges occupational science, occupational therapy interventions, and chronic condition management. She is a faculty member in the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and director of the Lifestyle Redesign for Chronic Conditions research lab, where her scholarship focuses on understanding the lived experiences of people with chronic conditions and translating occupation-centered theory and research into interventions that support health, well-being, participation, and quality of life.

Dr. Pyatak’s intervention research centers on Lifestyle Redesign, an occupational therapy intervention framework that helps people examine and intentionally shape the daily activities, habits, and routines that influence health. She developed Resilient, Empowered, Active Living Diabetes (REAL Diabetes), a Lifestyle Redesign intervention for diverse populations with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Her current research focuses on innovative care delivery models for adolescents and young adults with chronic conditions, implementation of Lifestyle Redesign interventions in health care settings, and using emerging technologies to understand how chronic conditions intersect with functioning and well-being in daily life. Across her work, she is committed to advancing occupational science through applied, community-responsive research that strengthens occupation-based practice and addresses health inequities.

2026 Pre-Conference Education institute

Potential Opportunities and Pedagogical Practices for Embedding OS in OT Education
This pre-conference education institute explores an integrated pedagogical approach that positions occupational science as the conceptual and scientific underpinning of occupational therapy education. Participants will examine the historical and philosophical relationship between occupational science and occupational therapy and consider how occupational science concepts can be intentionally scaffolded across didactic, experiential, and fieldwork education. Through interactive discussion, case-based learning, and collaborative activities, attendees will explore strategies for embedding occupational science concepts and perspectives across foundational and applied occupational therapy coursework.

The institute will also address common barriers to curricular integration and present a practical pedagogical model for occupation-centered education that strengthen students' understanding of occupation as both the subject and therapeutic medium of practice. Participants will engage
in guided reflection to evaluate their own curricula and identify opportunities to enhance the visibility and application of occupational science across educational experiences.

This institute is intended for occupational therapy and occupational science educators, academic leaders, and curriculum developers seeking to strengthen the connection between occupational science and occupational therapy education while preparing graduates for contemporary, occupation-centered practice.

Speaker Bios:

Barb Hooper, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is the Division Chief of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Division at Duke University. With a PhD in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education from Michigan State University, she is a recognized education scholar and curriculum innovator. Dr. Hooper has published in national, international, and interdisciplinary journals, delivered keynote addresses, and consulted with faculty and academic programs internationally on curriculum design, teaching, and learning. Her contributions to educational excellence have been recognized through distinguished teaching and scholarship awards, including induction into the American Occupational Therapy Association's Roster of Fellows. She is the creator of the Subject-centered Integrative Learning Model for Occupational Therapy (SCIL-OT), a framework that guides educators in designing occupation-centered curricula, courses, learning experiences, and fieldwork education. The model is the foundation of her new book, Designing
Occupation-Centered Curricula and Instruction for Occupational Therapy Students: A Model and
Practical Guide (Routledge), co-authored with Drs. Matthew Molineux and Wendy Wood.

Dr. Marc N. Ebenfield is the Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the University of New England. Holding a Ph.D. in Russian Language and Linguistics, Dr. Ebenfield brings a deep grounding in learning theory and pedagogical practice together with extensive knowledge of educational technology and executive leadership in faculty development.

Throughout his career at multiple institutions, he has led campus-wide transformations with a focus on evidence-based practices and strong support for both student and faculty success. His reach has extended beyond the university, directing service-learning programs that aligned community needs with academic learning outcomes and architecting the infrastructure for reciprocal partnerships between the university, regional non-profits and community partners. 

A frequent speaker at regional and national conferences Dr. Ebenfield routinely facilitates interactive workshops on pedagogical innovation, emerging technologies, and strategic academic leadership. His work focuses on bridging foundational discipline-based research with modern instructional practice to foster transformative learning environments.